Australia tops the charts for Pacific aid funding as China retreats and targets its money towards island nations with which it has more friendly relationships.
Labor and coalition governments put almost $27 billion towards the Pacific between 2008 and 2021, making up nearly 40 per cent of development finance in the region, the Lowy Institute's latest Pacific aid map report shows.
China's contributions dropped to about $380 million in 2021 compared to almost $450 million per year pre-pandemic. It contributes nine per cent of aid.